


Old Habits Die Hard

by Throwaway9899



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Memories, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Rescue Missions, Sad Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-03 00:12:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8689051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Throwaway9899/pseuds/Throwaway9899
Summary: Overwatch was once the poster-child of all that was good and just in the world, and Jack Morrison was its face. Nothing lasts forever, and eventually the organization fell to conflicting factions within it, along with pressure from the world to scale back their efforts. The conflict left Morrison a broken man, causing him to discard his former name and return as the vigilante known as Soldier: 76. He spent his years searching through the data banks of any Overwatch facilities he could find, searching for every single person who played a role in the downfall of his life's work. During one of his usual scavenging runs, he receives a transmission from Winston, a scientist who he worked alongside during the Golden Years of Overwatch. His former friend requests his help in rescuing Lena Oxton, callsign Tracer, who had been captured by Talon forces after the assassination of Tekartha Mondatta. Soldier: 76 begrudgingly accepts, not wanting to leave one of his own behind, even if he wasn't their commander anymore. Will Soldier: 76 find himself opening back up to his former team, or will he shut himself away and return to his vigilante ways? (Story on Permanent Hiatus)





	1. Rescue Mission

The shuttle slowly sputtered along in the air, it wasn’t the fanciest craft, but it got the job done. The interior was small, but not cramped, a few seats lined the walls with a table in the center, capable of displaying information via holograms. A single figure sat stoically alone, leaning forward with one hand on his knees. He wore a leather jacket with the colors of the American flag, a large collar flanked both sides of his neck along with a thermal turtleneck, the number 76 was engraved in large front on the back. A few pieces of combat armor had been grafted to his jacket and black combat pants, along with the front of his boots, a small pistol sat holstered on his right thigh. His blue eyes shone in the dim light of the cabin, scars ran across his face, the largest one crossing the entirety of it. He sighed as he stood up, grabbing a plain metallic mask with a red glass visor from the seat next to him. He clicked the mask over his face, obscuring all but the largest scar that he held, before grabbing his rifle from the table. The rifle was a standard pulse munition rifle, they were common amongst most militaries, he had made a few modifications to his however. He linked up the rifle with his visor, allowing it to effectively be aimed by the internal computers, all he had to do was pull the trigger. The magazine size had been slightly increased from the usual, along with a helix rocket launcher attached to the under-barrel, it bore the same color scheme as his jacket. He glanced down at the table, a small button was blinking, he pressed it with a gloved finger. The image of a gorilla shone from the table, he worse a small pair of black glasses, along with a white set of combat armor custom made for his large size. “So, you’ve made it. I’m sorry to drag you into this sir, but there’s no one else I could turn to. McCree’s still in America, Genji is in Nepal, and Torbjörn is somewhere in Russia- “His deep voice was cut off by the soldier’s gruff tone.  
“Just go over the details, Winston.” He brusquely spoke, examining his rifle without so much as a glance towards the hologram.  
“Right. After the events in King’s Row, Talon managed to get a hold of Le- “Winston stopped himself, “Tracer. She took some damage to her accelerator and was on her way to Gibraltar for repairs, but Talon was waiting for her. They took her here, to a small base located off the northwestern coast of Africa.” A map appeared from the table, showing the location of the island as well as the shuttle’s relative position, they were close. “I need you to sneak into the base, rescue Tracer, and bring her back to Gibraltar. There’s no telling what Talon’s doing to her, so you need to work fast.” Winston’s voice was full of concern, the cold gaze of the visor didn’t give him any comfort.  
“Anything else?” The soldier spoke, moving towards a side door of the shuttle, opening it with the press of a button.  
“No, that’s it. Good luck, Jack.” The soldier growled as the communications shut off, he hated when people used his old name, only a few knew of his identity. Jack Morrison was dead, there was only Soldier 76. The shuttle soared low above the ocean, not wanting to show itself on any radars in the base, 76 was planning to land near a low cliff and sneak into the base from there, the shuttle would stay on standby not too far away. He withdrew a small device from his pocket, Winston had given him this as a tool to use on the mission, he called it an iDroid. 76 tapped a button on the side of the device, a holographic map of the base was projected from the screen, a small blinking dot indicated his position on it. He sighed as he slipped the device back into his pocket, he had no idea where on this base they were holding Tracer, but the large facility on the map seemed like his best bet. The shuttle slowly ascended to the edge of a cliff, hovering nearby to allow 76 to leap from the door, sliding against the wet rock as he landed. The shuttle lowered itself back down below, it would keep as low a profile as possible before 76 would call it for evac, hopefully they would never know he was there. The rain pattered against his visor as he surveyed his surroundings, a small prison could be seen across the bay, it couldn’t hurt to check if she was there. 76 crouched low as he began to sneak across the cliff, a small guardhouse stood facing the bay, a lone figure stood inside, his face dimly lit by a cigarette. 76 prowled his way to a rock jutting out near the guardhouse, the rain made it difficult to hear footsteps, he’d have to keep that in mind. His visor didn’t pick up any other hostiles nearby, he took this as his chance to get some fresh intel, withdrawing his pistol from its holster before placing his rifle on his back. The pistol had a silencer built into the barrel, it wasn’t ideal in head on combat, but it would work perfectly as a stealth weapon. 76 crept next to the window of the guardhouse, quickly pulling the man into a chokehold as he pointed his pistol at his head.  
“Where is Tracer being held? Give me the right answer, and you get to keep your life.” 76 whispered, his gruff tone sounded fierce even when quiet. The man vainly struggled in his grasp, trying to pry himself free of the hold he was trapped in.  
“I don’t know, I swear!” The man gasped out, 76 tightened his grip on the guard’s neck, hoping that a little pain would help his memory. He glanced down at the name tag on his uniform, maybe it could help too.  
“Last chance, Hudson.” 76 pushed the barrel of his pistol against the man’s skull, the threat of death was often a great motivator. The guard continued to struggle, before slowly relaxing his muscles.  
“Okay… She’s in the main facility, I don’t know what room. That’s all I know.” The man sighed, 76 let out a dry chuckle as he tightened his grip on his neck further, holding the man in place as he drifted into unconsciousness. He slumped the guard against the inside of the shack, he wouldn’t want anyone to notice the body. Per the map he glanced at earlier, the main facility would be up the road from his current location, he hoped that the intel was correct. He slinked his way through the nearby shrubbery before the noise of an engine brought his attention away from sneaking. A large truck was driving its way up from the prison, the driver was the only one inside. The truck slowed to a stop as it neared the end of the road, just past 76’s current location, the bed of the truck was empty and had high walls, he’d be able to ride it inside the base. He sprinted behind the truck, hoisting himself up into the bed as quietly as he could, before lying prone against the metallic surface. The rain had granted him a surprising amount of cover, the truck continued down the road, eventually coming to a stop outside a large gate. The massive door slowly opened, the truck drove inside of the base, eventually coming to a stop underneath a metal canopy, 76 heard the driver side door shut and the sound of the driver walking away. He quickly peered over the side of the truck, making sure that no one was nearby, it looked like he was in the clear. He dropped out of the bed, quickly looking around the interior of the base, a small pathway led to a lower section. He slid across the open path, trying to get out of sight as quickly as possible, there was a small opening between two buildings that he could fit through. 76 slowly made his way through the gap, peering around the corner as he reached the end, he could see a stairwell leading down into the bowels of the base, a lone guard stood watch in the rain, staring at the main gate of the base. 76 made his way to the railing of the stairwell, slowly hopping over before lowering himself onto the stairs, he wanted to deal with as few guards as possible. As he descended the stairs he found himself in some sort of boiler room, he could hear the footsteps of guards approaching from the other end of the room. He quickly made his way behind the boilers, crouching low to not be spotted, a pair of guards slowly walked past him.  
“Man, it’s about time we got off guard duty. Not that I don’t think the prisoner’s important, but it’s just so god-damned boring!” The first guard moaned, stretching his arms into the air.  
“Tell me about it, there’s only so long I can spend staring down a hallway before I start going crazy.” The second replied, lighting a cigarette in his mouth as they ascended the stairwell. 76 knew he was going the right way, Tracer couldn’t be far away. He slinked past the boilers, peering around the corner at the end of the room, a pair of guards stood watch in front of a small chain gate, they looked as green as can be. 76 chuckled as he withdrew his pistol, he’d shoot the furthest one in the head, then use a more personal touch for the other. He counted to three before quickly turning the corner and firing a shot into the first guard’s head, he quickly slammed the other into the concrete wall of the base, the impact making a disgusting crunch as his body fell to the ground. The chain gate held a small lock on it, but nothing a little brute force couldn’t solve. 76 lifted his foot into the air, leaning all his weight into it as he kicked open the gate, the door flung open into the dimly lit cell. A lone figure sat in the center of the room, her arms were raising into the air, tied to the ceiling by ropes. Her goggles hung around her neck, the orange gloss reflecting the subtle blue light from the device on her chest. A few cuts and bruises could be seen on her face, the leather of her flight jacket had been frayed from the ordeal. 76 withdrew a knife from his side pocket, holding onto Tracer as he sliced the ropes that held her arms in place. She slumped forward against him, getting out with an unconscious person would be considerably more difficult than breaking in. He grunted as he hoisted her across his shoulders, he wouldn’t be able to use his rifle with one hand, but it hopefully wouldn’t come to that. He made his way back out of the cell, the way he came from would still have the guard at the top of the stairs, he’d try his luck with the other door. He slowly pushed it open, peering inside as he stepped through, he found himself in a small hallway that split off in two different directions up ahead. He glanced down the right hallway, the light of the base could be seen at the end of it, it wouldn’t be wise to head that way. He turned to the left, a small opening was placed in the wall, it was labeled as a garbage chute. 76 sighed as he stepped towards the opening, it wasn’t the most glamorous was to escape, but he hardly had a choice. He slid Tracer into the chute, pushing her down before hoisting himself inside, the smell was rancid. His groaned as he ventured down the chute, coming to a stop in a large pit outside the base, if he wasn’t wearing a mask he’d be crying from the smell. He hoisted Tracer back on his shoulders, a small cliff sat at the end of the pit, the shuttle could fit there. He withdrew the iDroid from his pocket, marking his location for the shuttle to meet him at, wiping the remains of someone’s dinner from his sleeve as he made his way towards the cliff. The rain would help wash some of it off, he hoped it wouldn’t permanently stain his jacket, replacements were almost impossible to find. The shuttle lifted from below the cliff, the side door slowly opening as close to the cliff as it could, 76 hopped inside and placed Tracer in a chair. He glanced over her as she sat, a small red light could be seen on the side of the accelerator on her chest, he didn’t remember that being there. The shuttle took off towards Gibraltar as he made his way to the table, bringing up the communication line to Winston, his face was soon projected from the table.  
“I’ve got her, but there’s some red light on the side of her accelerator.” 76 spoke, expecting the scientist to know more about it than he would. The gorilla seemed to look through some notes, before a shocked expression crossed his face.  
“You need to get rid of that now, the entire device has been compromised!” Winston shouted, 76 stood in bewilderment at his ally.  
“Won’t that kill her?” He still remembered the incident when he was Jack, Tracer had been chosen to test a prototype aircraft, and an incident occurred. The teleportation function of the aircraft broke down, the entire ship and Tracer disappeared, eventually she reappeared around Gibraltar before she’d disappear as quickly as she arrived. Winston had headed the effort to anchor her in the current time, creating a room in the base that was lined with chronal accelerators, allowing her to remain in the present. She was quarantined inside until Winston could create a more portable device, which was what she now wore on her chest, if she didn’t have that on she was likely to drift through time again.  
“We’ll have a few hours until it starts getting out of control, you can make it back to Gibraltar and get her in the old room before it gets serious. Now get rid of it, unless you want to end up the same way.” 76 sighed as he shut off the communications, making his way over to the still unconscious Tracer. The device was held on her with several straps, he began to undo them one at a time, eventually hoisting the surprisingly light device off her body. The red light had begun to blink faster, 76 reopened the side door, chucking the device into the sea below. He shut the door as he heard groans from Tracer, she was beginning to come to. He made his way back to her, unsure of how she would react to losing her accelerator and being saved by someone with his reputation. He wasn’t a hero like back in his glory days, he was a vigilante, delivering justice however he saw fit. Tracer was much more of an ideologue, putting good before all else, she hadn’t changed since he first met her, still the cheery bright-eyed Brit. Tracer shook her head as she awoke, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim cabin, she pushed herself upright as she remembered her imprisonment.  
“It’s all right, you’re safe.” 76 calmly spoke, leaning his rifle against the table before he leaned against it. Tracer’s gaze looked down at her chest, her motions became frantic as she realized that she was missing her accelerator. “I had to get rid of it, whole thing was compromised, we’ll make it to Gibraltar.” Small tears began to appear in her eyes, 76 felt his heart drop, he rarely saw the energetic young woman show any sort of sadness.  
“But I can’t go back to that, I can’t let that happen to me again!” Tracer shouted, she began to cry as she pulled her knees to her chest. “Drifting through time, nothing to latch onto as I careen through centuries, powerless to help myself.” Her voice was quieter, soon the only sound in the cabin was her gentle sobs. 76 pushed himself from the table, walking over to Tracer before placing a hand on her shoulder.  
“That won’t ever happen again, I promise.” He spoke, trying to instill as much sympathy in his voice as he could. Tracer’s head was still buried in her knees, her spiky hair had been matted down from the rain. 76 sighed as he reached up to his mask, slowly detaching it from his face, before placing it on the seat beside her. “Trust me.” He gently whispered, attempting to coax Tracer from her despair. Her head slowly raised from behind her knees, her eyes were red and swollen from the tears. A look of shock crossed her face as she examined the man before her.  
“Jack? Is that you?” She spoke, bewildered at the sight, the world believed that Jack Morrison had died in Switzerland during the collapse of Overwatch. He slowly nodded, pulling Tracer into a hug as she sobbed into his chest. Her cries slowed, eventually replaced by the sound of her breathing, he had always managed to calm down his soldiers when they needed it. Tracer began to quietly laugh as she turned her head towards him, her hazel eyes meeting his steel blue gaze. “Just one thing, luv. Promise me you’ll take a shower when we get back!” Tracer laughed, she was always the first to make jokes in any situation, Jack nodded with a chuckle, before releasing their embrace. He slipped the mask back on, feeling quite naked without it, before making his way to a seat opposite of Tracer.  
“I’ll tell you all about how I survived when we get back, but don’t tell anyone who I am. Winston knows, and now you’re among the few who know the truth, and I’d like to keep it that way.” 76 dryly spoke, he felt as though he had two different personalities; the remnants of Morrison, and the vigilante Soldier 76. The shuttle soared towards Gibraltar, they had more than enough time before Tracer’s condition would begin to act up again. 76 settled into the chair, shutting his eyes to get some much-needed rest before they landed.


	2. More Favors

The rumble of the shuttle shook 76 awake, his cold eyes glanced at Tracer, she had fallen asleep during the flight. They had landed at Gibraltar, it was an old Overwatch base located in the southern reaches of Spain, situated amongst the rocky spires jutting from the sea. He grabbed his rifle from the seat beside him, holstering it onto his back as he made his way towards the bay door at the rear of the cabin. He tapped a panel on the wall, the door slowly opened, creating a ramp to bridge the small gap between the shuttle and the landing pad. He made his way back towards Tracer, gently shaking her to awaken, she only groaned in response. A small smile hid behind his mask, his thoughts briefly turned to the old days, the days where he was a hero. He wiped the smirk from his face, returning to his stoic façade, before lifting Tracer from the seat, supporting her back and legs with his arms. He stepped down the ramp, his visor dimming the bright sunlight that streamed into the base, the years had been kind to Gibraltar. The familiar smell of seawater flooded his senses, the sounds of the waves crashing into the rocks below, the distant caws of the seagulls that soared nearby, it had been a long time since he set foot on this base. He glanced around, taking in the familiar sights of his past life, before slowly making his way towards Winston’s laboratory. The scientist had constructed the room that kept Tracer anchored not far from his lab, he didn’t want to be too far away in case something went wrong. Tracer gently exhaled and turned into his chest, nuzzling her face against the leather of his jacket. She always was friendly, though he had attempted to confront her about the personal displays of affection during the glory days, he realized it was a futile effort. He let out a dry chuckle as he stepped up the staircase into Winston’s lab, the tinted windows let only a small amount of sunlight inside. Various pieces of machinery were scattered around the lab, a large pile of shield generators could be seen discarded to one side. 76’s gaze panned the ceiling, looking for any sign of the scientist, the large tire that hung in the center of the room was unoccupied, the quiet sounds of a keyboard could be heard upstairs. 76 loudly coughed, hoping that the scientist would notice his arrival, he hated to be kept waiting. The sounds from upstairs stopped, Winston’s large head peered down from a hole in his office, a smile on his face.  
“Ah, you’re back earlier than I thought.” His eyes held a brief look of concern as he looked at Tracer, before the smile reappeared. “Take her up the stairs, it’s the first room on the right.” Winston’s head disappeared back into his office, 76 let out a small sigh as he ascended the stairs, hoping that he wouldn’t have to talk with Winston after he dropped Tracer off. He stopped at the first door on the right, tapping the panel with his left hand, the door quickly opened to reveal a small apartment. Various amenities had been included in the construction, Morrison had overseen it along with Winston, though he never took part in the actual construction. A window lined the far wall, allowing the inhabitant to take in the sights of the Spanish coast, perhaps a reminder of the world they could return to. A small door led into a bathroom on the right side, a pair of couches sat on either side of a brown coffee table, a small refrigerator had even been placed in a corner of the room. 76’s footsteps echoed throughout the room as he made his way towards the lone bed, gently placing Tracer down onto it. She groaned softly as she turned on the bed, she was a surprisingly heavy sleeper despite her usual personality. He made his way back to the entrance of the room, briefly turning back as he shut the door, his mask hid another soft smile. He made his way towards Winston’s office, it was a short walk down the hall, the gorilla sat in a large tire, several monitors surrounded him. “How is she?” Winston’s gaze didn’t leave the monitors, their reflections shone in his glasses, 76 exhaled as he leaned against the wall.  
“Some minor injuries, but she’ll recover. How long will it take to make a replacement?” Part of him hoped that it would take some time, the small sliver of Morrison that remained deep within him ached to return to Overwatch, to reunite with his family. 76 quickly stomped down the thoughts, that wasn’t who he was anymore, he was just finishing a mission.  
“I have most of the materials on hand, but there’s a couple of things I’ll need you to get.” Winston turned to face his former commander, a stern look on his face.  
“Get them yourself.” 76 snarled, suppressing his inward thoughts with a mixture of malice and brutality.  
“What happened to you, Jack? The commander I knew wouldn’t hesitate to throw himself into the fire for his team, but here you stand, refusing to save a woman’s life that you ruined.” Winston’s words cut deep into 76, who slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a small dent in the metal.  
“That was not my fault. But if you want to discuss the past, let’s do it, ape. I managed to save the entire world, finding the best and brightest people from wherever I could look, while you sat here tinkering with your machines. I led soldiers into the jaws of death while you conducted experiments, I gave my life to save you all, where were you then, Winston?” 76 growled, he didn’t know if the hatred he felt towards Winston was vindicated, but it felt good to release it. “Jack died in Switzerland, I came back to help as a favor to an old friend, but that mission was it.”  
“So, you’ll just leave her in that room forever? There’s no one else who can help her, you say you weren’t responsible for what happened back then, but you will be for what happens now.” Winston’s tone was flat, a stark contrast to the bitterness locked within 76’s gruff voice. “Help us, Jack. Help her.” 76’s cold visor stared as Winston, neither of them showed a trace of emotion, though they each felt passionately about this subject. His thoughts turned to his time in Dorado, of the fight with Los Muertos in the alleyway. He had dealt with several of the members before a child appeared from behind a crate, the retreating gang tossed a grenade back at them, and the child screamed in terror. Every fiber of his being wanted to chase after the gang, to make them pay for the crimes they’ve committed, but that small bit of Morrison within him held him back. He had no choice but to save the child, shielding her from the blast with his body. She had called him a hero, a title that he refused, that wasn’t who he was anymore, he could rationalize what he did as old habits. 76 grunted as he made his way back down the hallway, wordlessly agreeing to help once more, he never could kick his habit. He made his way back to the bright exterior of Gibraltar, he remembered where his old office was, it overlooked the entirety of the base. He walked through the empty halls of Gibraltar, not a soul could be found within its dark interiors, it would’ve been better to let all this go. He ascended a stairwell, stopping at the top, a lone door stood before him, the name Morrison was transcribed above it. He sighed as he activated the panel of the door, the empty office was filled with the light of the sun. Two chairs sat before the large desk in the center of the room, a larger leather chair sat behind it, facing away from the large window at the rear of the room. 76 placed his jacket on the desk, leaning his rifle against it, before making his way over to a small locker in the corner, pulling it open with a satisfying clank. Inside was a set of clothes that he left for himself, he had spent so much time in this office that it had become a home to him. He pulled the various articles of clothing from the interior, placing them on the desk next to his jacket, before he turned back to the locker. His old jacket sat inside, its blue fabric contrasting against the darkness of the locker, the medals pinned to the collar managed to catch a small amount of sunlight, their glint reflecting off his visor. He stared at the jacket, the whispers inside him begging for him to put it back on, to reclaim what he had lost. He sighed, slamming the locker shut, before making his way to the small bathroom located off the office. The lights turned on as he entered, flickering gently as he made his way towards the shower, turning it on before he made his way towards the mirror. He removed his mask, placing it on the side of the sink, staring into his own blue eyes. He discarded the rest of his outfit into the corner, stepping into the warm water of the shower, the heat soothing his scarred body. Silently washing his hair, he thought of the late nights he had spent in this same room, the past that he had rejected, the man he left behind. Several minutes passed before he reemerged from the bathroom, his mask was already on his face, before he slipped into the clothes he left on the desk. He placed his rifle onto his back, making his way back to the landing pad, not wishing to live in his memories any longer. He withdrew the iDroid from his pocket as it buzzed, a hologram of Winston projected from the device.  
“What?” 76 dryly spoke, his demeanor was only ever one of anger when he wore his mask, at least that was all he would show the world.  
“I’ve uploaded the details to your iDroid, you’re going to be heading to an old Overwatch base in London- “Winston was cut off as Tracer plucked the device from his hand, her cheery face replaced the scientist’s calm visage.  
“Oi, luv, you think you could pick me up a few things while you’re there? I could murder some fish n’ chips right about now.” 76 stared at Tracer, not saying a word as she grinned at him. He shut the device off, placing it into his pocket, how she could be so cheery all the time was a mystery to him. He grunted as he stepped into the shuttle, placing the iDroid on the table to transfer the coordinates over, the autopilot would get him there. 76 never was much for flying, too many variables to consider, he preferred to keep his feet on the ground. The device rang again, this time the table projected both Tracer and Winston, 76 placed his hand on his mask, letting out a deep sigh. “It’s rude to hang up on people, y’know?” Tracer spoke, playfully sticking her tongue out at 76, Winston sheepishly laughed as 76 stood up from the seat, leaning his hands against the table.  
“As I was saying, you’re heading to an old base in London. There shouldn’t be anyone there, but it never hurts to be careful. You’re getting a small shipment of crystals that are apparently still inside, that’s what keeps her accelerator running properly. If the system log is correct, there should be enough where we won’t have to scavenge for replacement parts.”  
“Anything else?” 76 grunted, his expressionless visor staring at the pair.  
“Come on, luv, just swing by my place to get a few things! For old time’s sake!” 76 sighed again, he always held a soft spot for Tracer, largely due to the guilt he felt for her condition, though her unflinching optimism helped too.  
“Fine, send me the details.” 76 groaned, tapping the table a few times to shut off the communications, he couldn’t believe he’d agreed to this. The iDroid vibrated, projecting a list of items from the table, Tracer typed as fast as she spoke. Toothbrush, plush bear, teapot, she’d sent him a grocery list. “What is this crap?” 76 muttered, slowly panning his gaze down the list, one item stood out to him, a photograph. What would she need with a photograph? Granted, it seemed rather important compared to some of the other items she had listed for him, but didn’t she have copies? 76 tapped the table again, swiping away the list, before settling back down in his seat. He had hoped to keep his distance from Overwatch, he wanted to say as far away from his former life as he could, but he was always drawn right back into it. “Well, at least it’s only those two.” 76 sighed, preparing himself for the flight to London. The shuttle soared over the coast of Spain, Gibraltar shrank as he flew north, he’d be back soon enough.


	3. Hello, Old Friend

76 stepped out of the shuttle onto the rooftop, the rain pelted the ground as he glanced for a way inside. Tracer’s apartment complex had a roof large enough for him to keep the shuttle on, and he wouldn’t have to haul whatever she needed too far. He pushed open the metal door to the interior of the building, stopping at the bottom of the staircase, Tracer lived on this floor. He found the room labeled 5D and activated the panel beside the door, entering the code that she had given him, 4376. The light on the panel turned green, emitting a small beep as the lock disengaged, allowing him entry to the apartment. He pushed open the door and flipped on the lights, the modest space was filled with all sorts of Overwatch memorabilia. Blankets and pillows sat carelessly around the room, she had never been known to be neat, the bed in the far corner looked as though a tornado had just passed over it. 76 sighed as he grabbed a small container from the kitchen, he could put the items inside of it, he still couldn’t believe he agreed to this errand. He slowly made his way through the apartment, grabbing everything that she had told him to, letting out a small chuckle as he placed the plush bear in the container. He glanced at the nightstand, a photo sat framed on top of it, he recognized it. It was the photo they took during Winston’s graduation, the original Overwatch team was all there; Tracer, Winston, Mercy. The voice within him spoke up again, reminding him of the golden age, the time he spent as a hero. His mind flashed through his memories, the missions he led to stop the Omnic Crisis, the praise he received for saving the world, the comradery he felt with his team. He gently smiled as he panned the photo, his eyes stopping at the final member of the team, Reyes. The smile faded, replaced by an overwhelming anger for the man who killed him, dismantled Overwatch, then came back as a literal phantom. Reyes had become something dark after the events in Switzerland, choosing to go by the name Reaper, he always was one for drama. He was no longer human, though he bore a shape like one, his body was in a constant state of breaking down and then rebuilding itself. In some ways, the procedure had saved his life, but it damned him to an eternity of torment. Reyes had hidden his face behind a mask, much like he had, though he’d swear that was all they had in common. 76 would have his revenge for what happened, for the fall of Overwatch, and Reyes was the first name on his list. He’d put an end to his old friend, one way or another. He placed the photograph into the container, flipping the lights off as he shut the apartment door behind him. Stepping back out onto the rainy rooftop, he briefly glanced up at the clouds, the rain pattering against his mask, before he stepped back into the shuttle. He placed the container in a seat, dropping to sit out the side door with his legs hanging off the shuttle, the old base wouldn’t be too far. He had spent much of his time as 76 in old Overwatch facilities, finding traces of who was responsible for its ultimate downfall, it was a long list. Prominent corporations weren’t too keen on Overwatch’s influence, Lumerico and Vishkar were the two largest names, they used their sizeable infrastructure to push the Petras Act ahead. Just thinking about the sanctions the United Nations had placed on Overwatch made his blood boil, the world had turned their back on them, even after what they had done. Distrust of Overwatch grew as time went on, and Blackwatch’s questionable methods only added fuel to the growing fire. He had tried to start a conversation with them, to come to an agreement, but that was in another life, and he eventually turned his back on them.  
76 shook himself back to reality, the rain was coming down harder, but he was close to the base. The shuttle lowered to the ground, allowing him to hop onto the wet concrete of the entrance, the outside of the base was in complete disarray. Large vines had consumed the building, the glass of the large archway had broken and laid scattered on the ground, even the large stone logo had begun to crumble away. The glass crunched beneath his feet as he entered the compound, a large atrium greeted him, various pieces of rubble had fallen from the ceiling, leaving the furniture scattered throughout the room in ruins. 76 made his way to a map of the facility, it’s blue holographic display gently flickering, it was the only source of light besides the subtle rays of the moon. He had to go down several floors to reach the cargo bay, it was mounted into the side of a cliff, allowing shuttles easy access without having to deal with the elements. He stopped at an elevator, pressing the call button, but no response came, it would be too much to ask for the base to function after all these years. He slung his rifle across his back, prying open the doors to the shaft, before gazing down into the darkness. The elevator could be faintly seen at the bottom of the shaft, largely due to the visor’s enhancements in low-light conditions, he’d be able to slide down the cable to the bottom. He clutched the cable, slowly lowering himself down, falling down an elevator shaft wouldn’t be a heroic way to die. He stopped at the fourth floor down, one half of the door had fallen off, leaving a small opening for him. He used his weight to swing the cable back and forth, leaping into the darkness of the hangar. The large room held several aircraft in various states of disrepair, none of them were air-worthy. He slowly made his way towards the control center of the hangar, his footsteps echoing throughout the metallic cave. Ascending the stairs to the control room, 76 glanced for the large lever that would open the hangar doors, a small amount of rust had accumulated on it. He pushed the lever forward, it shrieked as he pushed it further, eventually locking into place once it reached the top. The hangar doors began to slowly part, letting in the light of the moon, illuminating the closest aircraft. 76 withdrew his iDroid, swiping through the menus until he reached his shuttle control, sending the command for the autopilot to dock in the hangar. He sighed as he descended back into the hangar, making his way to a large pile of crates that had been left in a corner, still swiping through the menus of the device. A photo of the crate that he needed shone from the device, it looked like a standard Overwatch crate, thought it had a blue accent instead of the usual orange. Walking through the piles of crates, his eyes rested on a single lone crate discarded from the rest, it held the logo that he was looking for. 76 grunted as he lifted the crate, Overwatch had always made their materials to last, standard military munitions would be unrecognizable after all this time. His shuttle soared into the hangar, landing in the center of the room, its engines still engaged as it hovered a few inches from the ground. He placed the crate inside the shuttle, pushing it to the rear of the cabin, preparing to step inside. A shot broke the silence, impacting the side of his shuttle, 76 drew his rifle and turned to face his attacker. His visor lit up as he panned the catwalk that ran along the hangar, several Talon grunts had been stationed on it, each one aiming right at him. He didn’t know why they hadn’t shot him yet, and he didn’t care, he quickly tapped a button on the side of his mask to engage the aim assist. He held the trigger as he turned around the room, the visor accurately aiming his shots into each grunt, he was free to evade at his leisure, sprinting across the room to the crates, he’d be able to use them as cover. He crouched behind a crate, occasionally peeking out to fire at the soldiers as shots pelted his cover. His visor didn’t seem to pick up any more hostiles, but something didn’t feel right. The light from the moon had begun to dim, a deep black fog creeped from the hangar doors, Reaper had arrived. 76 panned the hangar as he left his cover, his old friend could appear wherever he pleased, a small conciliation for the pain he was in.  
“It’s been a long time, Jack.” Reaper’s raspy voice called out, projected from all sides of the room.  
“Not long enough, Reyes.” 76 snarled, he had hoped to never see him after the events in Cairo, he had only survived that encounter due to Ana’s intervention. “Finally going to get your revenge?” Reaper didn’t respond, the unsettling silence raised the hairs on 76’s neck, he wasn’t usually quiet.  
“Die.” 76 rolled out of the way as a shotgun fired from behind him, Reaper was trying the same trick he used in Cairo. Shots continued to pelt the ground around him as he sprinted away, quickly glancing back at Reaper, he had disappeared again. He turned his eyes to the ceiling, a large crate sat dangling from a crane, he could use that to his advantage. He placed himself under it, hoping to bait Reaper to him, he couldn’t resist such a juicy target. Fog coalesced around his feet, Reaper’s taloned gloves reached out, trying to trap him in place. 76 leapt back, firing his helix rockets at the crane as he slammed into the ground, sliding a short distance. “The years haven’t been kind to your aim, I can see why you wear the visor.” Reaper emitted a guttural laugh as he formed, pulling a fresh pair of shotguns from his jacket. 76 chuckled as the crane emitted a creek, quickly snapping as the crate fell to the ground. Reaper quickly looked up, the crate slamming him into the ground, black fog seeped from beneath it, retreating out the hangar door. It would take more than brute force to kill Reyes now, they’d need something to counteract the nanomachines in his body, he’d be able to retreat in that same manner if they were active. 76 grunted as he stood, feeling a sting in his side, one of the shots from Reaper had found its mark, leaving a faint trace of blood on his jacket. He clenched his fist as he stepped into the shuttle, pulling a small device from his belt, it was a handy piece of tech called a biotic field. He’d managed to procure one during his time scrounging through old Overwatch bases, it worked with the same technology that was used in Mercy’s staff, projecting it into a small area. With a tap of a button the device deployed, the pain in his side was relieved as the small wound began to close, the miracles of modern medicine, as Mercy would say. He placed his iDroid on the table, bringing up communications with Winston, who groggily answered the call.  
“Yes, Jack?” Winston yawned, stretching his arms into the air.  
“I got the shipment, Talon was waiting for me.” 76’s tone was dry, he hated walking into an ambush. Winston’s face turned serious, tapping on a keyboard off-screen.  
“No one should know about what was in that base but us- “  
“It was him, Winston.” 76 interrupted, malice filling his words.  
“You’re certain? I mean I’ve had suspicions, but I never thought he could still be alive.” 76 nodded at Winston, confirming his statement.  
“Does she know?” Winston paused, eventually shrugging at him.  
“I’m sure she has suspicions like I did, but I can’t imagine she’s certain.”  
“I’ll fill her in when I get back.” 76 spoke, cutting off communications before settling back into his seat. He plucked the biotic field from the ground, shutting it off as he placed it back onto his belt. He loathed every encounter with Reyes, even during the glory days, they two had never seen eye to eye. Their conflict was what had brought down Overwatch, though it was far from the only factor. Reyes had always been focused on brutality and fear, preferring to use whatever methods he had to get the job done. Morrison was focused on the greater good, not wanting to sacrifice their humanity for the sake of efficiency. His thoughts introspective, he had begun to use any methods he could as 76, though he did them to uncover the truth. He and Reyes were not the same, at least, that’s what he could tell himself. He sighed as he removed his mask, glancing towards the crate, he wondered how Tracer would take the news.


	4. Welcome Home

76 hoisted the container onto his right shoulder, keeping it in place with his hand as he stepped out of the shuttle onto the landing pad, the smaller case from Tracer’s apartment was easily held with his left hand. The sunny base was a welcome reprieve from his usual rainy environments, sometimes he missed the warmth of Dorado, maybe he’d check on that kid someday. His footsteps echoed through the hall as he ascended the stairs to Winston’s laboratory, placing the container in the center of the room, glancing around for any sign of his comrades. He continued further inside, making his way up to Winston’s office, the large gorilla sat asleep in the tire he used as a chair. 76 let out a dry chuckle, choosing not to wake the scientist, not everyone was as much of an early bird as he was. He glanced towards the door to Tracer’s containment room, he’d have to break the news to her eventually, might as well get it over with. He tapped the panel next to the door, entering the room as the door slid open, he could hear the faint sound of water from the bathroom. He sat down on a couch, placing the container from London on the table, his gaze focused on the watery vista that this room provided. He let out a deep sigh as he relaxed into the sofa, it was surprisingly comfortable despite being in a room that was only used for a few months. Overwatch tried to never spare any expense, only accepting the best, everything from their weapons to their uniforms were designed to their exacting specifications. The sun slowly rose over the bay, he had watched this same sight many times during his time here, eventually leaving for the headquarters in Switzerland, he had forgotten how tranquil the sights were. A small smile formed on his lips as he thought back to his missions as Strike Commander, the bond he formed with each hero under his command, he’d give his life for each one of them, and they’d have done the same. It was a crushing realization to find just how deep Reyes’ hatred of him ran, he had thought they were good friends, they had saved the world together, after all. He knew how desperately Reyes longed to command his own troops, he was crushed when Morrison was chosen to be Strike Commander over him, but they were still friends. He had given Reyes command of Blackwatch, he’d be the second half of the organization, doing the dirty work that had to be done, had Reyes seen it as pity? He hated to be looked down on, his entire persona was created to demand respect and fear from those around him, though he never intimated Morrison and Ana. He wondered if that was the beginning of their collapse, if Reyes was just unable to accept being under someone else, even if they were his friends. Towards the end Overwatch’s era Reyes had become more outspoken against him, openly recruiting criminals for Blackwatch despite his protests. McCree, that was the degenerate’s name, he was nothing more than a common killer in Deadlock Gorge, but Reyes had seen something in him. Morrison never agreed with his recruitment, adamant that criminals like him would need to answer to the justice system, but Blackwatch never played by the rules.  
“Oi!” Tracer’s voice called out from behind him, shaking him from his trance. “Didn’t hear you come in, luv!” She let out a giggle as she sat down across from him, wearing her usual attire, minus her flight jacket. Small traces of the cuts remained on her face, though most of the bruising had subsided, she was healing up nicely. She smiled warmly at him, he never could resist her cheery demeanor, even now. 76 pushed the container towards her, nodding his head at it, Tracer stood up and opened it, her smile growing wider. She took several items from the box, placing them onto the table, before pulling him into a hug. “Thanks, luv!” 76 grunted, his hands remained on the back of the couch, Tracer did not appreciate his steely demeanor. “No hug back?” She teased, making her way back to the opposite couch, quickly flopping down onto it. She picked up the photograph, smiling at it, before her eyes returned to his cold mask. “You going to tell me that story?” 76 straightened his posture, softly groaning as he leaned forward onto his knees.  
“Yeah, I guess I will.” He removed his mask, placing it onto the table, his blue eyes had the same piercing look as his visor. “You weren’t there at the Switzerland base when it all went down, but I’m sure you didn’t miss the growing malice between Reyes and I. The UN had just informed me they would be taking measures against us, I suppose their warning was to repay the debt they owed from us saving the world. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to reduce the severity of their sanctions, but I guess I’ll never know.” 76 dryly chuckled as he turned his gaze back to the window, Tracer quietly sat with her attention on him. “I made my way back to the atrium, hoping to stall the UN, along with disproving the allegations of corruption in our ranks. Reyes was waiting when I arrived, standing on the opposite side of the room, shotguns in hand. I knew that this would happen eventually, he had gotten too confrontational for this to be settled peacefully, though I always hoped I wouldn’t have to fight my oldest friend. Our battle raged throughout the entire building, almost every room was involved in one way or another, thankfully Reyes had the decency to wait until night to start, though I doubt he cared about civilian casualties.” He quietly shifted in his seat, attempting to suppress the uncomfortable feelings of reliving his death. “Our game of cat and mouse ended in the reactor core, self-sufficiency was always a nice touch in our bases. Reyes had rigged explosives up to the core, likely as a final effort in case he wouldn’t be able to kill me normally. I managed to get the upper hand, hitting him in the chest with a helix rocket, but that bastard was always hard to kill. He triggered the explosives, bringing the entire building down on our heads, along with Overwatch itself. I don’t know how long I laid in the wreckage, it was still night when I awoke, by some miracle I had survived. Everything I worked for, everything that I believed in, it all collapsed right before my eyes. I swore that I’d stop at nothing to find everyone responsible for Overwatch’s collapse, for the death of Jack Morrison.” His eyes turned to his mask, Tracer’s concerned face still stared at him. “I disappeared for a few years, showing up here and there when I wanted to, always connected to an old Overwatch base. I had hoped that Reyes died, that he was crushed beneath some debris, but I never was lucky. Ziegler saved him, using nanomachines to keep him alive, but something went wrong. His body was rapidly degrading, though the nanomachines could rebuild him just as fast, he was stuck in some sort of limbo between life and death, unable to live or die. I hear he drains everything out of his victims, like some sort of phantom, though you’ve met him more times than I have.”  
“You don’t mean?” 76 nodded, placing his mask back over his face.  
“I’m going to put an end to him, one way or another, and I won’t stop until I figure out how. It’s been nice catching up with you two, but I’ve gotten what you needed, I’ll let you heroes get back to it.” He made his way towards the door, Tracer grabbed him from behind, pulling him into a hug.  
“Jack, you’re still a hero.” She whispered, pulling him close, he felt a strange emotion he hadn’t felt for some time. “You don’t have to do this all alone, luv.” 76 paused, not moving as he stared at the door.  
“I’m not the same man I was, Lena.” He spoke, maintaining the composure 76 had become infamous for.  
“You’re Jack Morrison, that is who you’ll always be, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change. We already lost you once, luv, don’t make us lose you again.” Tracer pulled him tighter, she could feel a faint tremble from him, though his stalwart composure remained. “We’re a family, after all.” 76 slammed his fist into the wall, pulling himself free from Tracer, before storming out of the room. He sprinted through the lab outside, waking Winston from his slumber as he disappeared. Winston glanced over at the door to the containment room, Tracer held a concerned look on her face, he swung from his office down to the lab below, opening the container left in the center of the lab.  
“Where’s he going?” Winston asked, Tracer could leave the room for an hour or so before the effects became uncontrollable. She didn’t respond, sitting on a table nearby as Winston carefully plucked a crystal from the container, placing inside the center of the replacement chassis he had constructed. The device hummed before the familiar blue glow emanated from it, he handed the device to Tracer, who slipped it on and tightened the straps used to keep it in place. “How does it feel?” Winston asked, Tracer hopped up and began to blink around the room, before pulling Winston into a hug.  
“It works great, thanks big guy!” Winston laughed as he returned the hug, his large arms completely covering Tracer’s small frame. “I’ve gotta go check on him, but I’ll be back soon!” Tracer waved as she blinked out of the laboratory, thrilled at her regained freedom, she hated to be locked in one place. 76’s shuttle still sat on the landing pad, a quick glance inside revealed that he wasn’t there, he was somewhere on the base. She rapidly moved through Gibraltar, coming to a stop outside of Morrison’s old office, this is where he’d return to. Tracer opened the door, 76’s mask sat on his desk, a glass bottle of scotch sat next to it, along with an empty glass.  
“It’s considered polite to knock.” 76 coldly spoke, rotating the chair towards her, a glass of scotch in his hand. Tracer smiled gently as she blinked into a chair in front of the desk, crossing her legs as she sat down.  
“You okay, luv?” 76 took a swig of his drink, placing the now empty glass on the table before refilling it. He motioned to the other glass, offering to fill it for her, she politely nodded and took the drink.  
“I can’t lose all this again, Lena. Every night I remember the comrades I lost, the family I lost, it never stops hurting, it’s like they’re all still there. I can’t open myself up like that, the wounds are too deep, the memories too fresh, just to lose it all again.” He took another swig of his drink, Tracer mimicked his display, emitting a small sound of disgust, prompting a chuckle from 76. “It’s an acquired taste.” He dryly joked, his blue eyes staring into the distance.  
“But you won’t lose it, luv, I promise. We can get everyone back together, most of the old gang is still around, we’ve just gotta let them know we’re here!” Tracer’s words sparked something within 76, a small flicker of Morrison shone in his eyes, a look she recognized.  
“And we tell them, what, their old commander abandoned them?” His tone was still bitter, each word seemed to be laced with venom.  
“No one blames you for what you did.”  
“No one knows what I did.”  
“Winston and I do, and we’ve been pretty accepting of it so far!” Her joke prompted a small smile from 76, though it quickly faded. “We won’t force you to tell them who you really are, you can do it when you’re ready.” 76 stared at her for some time, occasionally taking a sip of scotch, before nodding at her.  
“Fine, I’ll stay.” He spun the chair back towards the window, motioning for her to leave. She placed the glass back on the table, it still looked full. “And Lena.” She turned back towards him as she opened the door, “Thanks.” He waved, still facing out the window, she smiled as she waved back, leaving him to his thoughts.


	5. - Ending Story -

This is going to be a short update since I'm basically putting this story on a hiatus. I don't know why, but I'm not enjoying writing this story as much as I thought I would, something about it just doesn't click with me. I'm stopping at this point because it's at least somewhat of an ending, even though it is ambiguous, sorry in advance for that. I like 76 as a character, and I think there's a lot of neat interactions he can have with other characters, but it's just not fun to write it. I was planning to put about 2 or 3 days between chapters so I don't get burned out, but I don't have any real desire to come back to this story. Hopefully the four chapters are good, I feel like the quality declined a lot in the fourth chapter, though that could just be me being overly critical of my own work. Thanks for taking to the time to read this story, I wanted to give you guys an explanation as to why I haven't updated it in some time, and I didn't want people to be waiting for an update that wasn't going to come. I'll likely continue writing Overwatch stories, but I don't really know where I'm going next, dealing with some stuff in my personal life that I want to get sorted out before I really get back into it. Just like with every other story, I'm super thankful of anyone who stopped by to read this, can't thank you guys enough.

Alerestus


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